Knockdown crate



C. LOMBARDO! KNOCKDOWN CRATE.

APPLICATION FlLED SEPT. a, 1918.

Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

CHARLES LGMBAB.DO, OF WATERFORD, NEW JERSEY.

KNOCKDOWN CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 165 1920- Application filed September 6. 1918. Serial No. 252,910.

Te all 'U/LO/IL it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES LoMBARDo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waterford, in the county of Camden, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knockdown Crates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

I The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in folding crates more particularly of that type including a pair of rigid side frames adapted to be held in spaced relation in the assembled condition of the crate by releasable connecting bars.

It is in general the object of the present invention to simplify and otherwise improve the structure and to increase the strength of knockdown structures of this character, particularly when assembled, and to increase the ease of manipulation of devices of this character for such assei'nbly and disassembly.

A moredetailed and import-ant object resides in the provision of an arrangement whereby the connecting bars of the rigid frame members may be carried thereby, to lie substantially in the planes of such members in the knockdown condition of the crate.

A further object resides in the provision of an improved latch structure forconnecting the various portions of the knockdown crate, which structure also serves to materially strengthen the crate.

WVith the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides more particularly in the novel combination, formation and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved crate in assembled condition.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the assembled crate.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of one of the latch connections, with the casing plate removed. 7

Fig. 4 is a sectional viewon the line. 14 of Fig. 3.-

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of one of the pivoted connections of, the connecting. bars. with the casing plate removed,

Fig. 6 is a perspective viewof one of the connecting bars.

F ig. 7 is a detail perspective view showing the mounting of a corner plate.

Referring now more accompanying drawings, the improved knockdown crate comprises a pair of rigid rectangular frame members whichare releasably held in spaced relation forming the crate by a plurality of connectingbars, such release of. the connecting V mutual disconnection of. the frame members and into the planes of the frame members to which they are attached whereby in the disassembly of the crate, said crate may 0c cupy a space equal to: the combined trans verse widths of the frame members.

Each of theframe members comprises side and end bars 10 and 11 respectively which are preferably formed of wood and are se; cured together in rectangular relation, with the edge portions of the bars lying in parallel planes, and these frame bars-1O and 11 are connected by bars 12 and .13 and a diagonal bar 14. Bars 12 and 14. are secured to those edge portions of the bars 10 and 11 that are disposedoutwardly in the assembled condition. of the crate structure, and bars 13, which are of less. thickness than the widths of bars 10,

are set flush with said edge portions. Thus. there is afforded what may be termed rigid.

side portions having inturnedmarginal walls formed by the first named frame bars 10 and 11. L

For detachably connecting these rigid side portions. a corner plate 15 is secured to the outer face of each end of each of the. frame bars 12 and has wine's 16 and 16 disposed respectively over the end face portions of the bars 10 and 11. An angle casing plate has its end portions 17 and 17 in turn dis;- posed over the wings 16 and 16' respectively. and is held in spacedv rcla-tiontheretoby spacer members 18 and 18%. the plates, Wings, and spacer members being secured together and to the frame bars by screws 19 passed therethrough into the frame bars. The structure thus described affords an efiicient reinforcement for the corners of the rigid side portions of the crate.- Pivotally sccured between the end portionl? of each angle plate and theadjacent wing..16, by means of a rivet 20 is one endof a connecting bar 21which is preferably formed of stra metal particularly to thebars permitt ng permitting the connecting bars to swing side and intermediate and which has its other end engageable be tween like elements at the corresponding corner of the other rigid crate side member, and provided with a transverse slot 22 open at one side and adapted to receive a locking pin 23 extending through said. elements. For locking the bar in this assembled position, a pair of spacer members 18 are associated'with the casing plate end 17" and disposed at the outer side thereof. The members 18 are spaced to afford atransverse passageway and slidably mounted in this passageway is a latch bolt which has a head portion 25 at its inner end engageable in a keeper recess 26 in the end of the bar 21. The other end of the latch bar is enlarged and apertured to form a retracting eye 2-7 1 which engageable to retract the bolt and normally stands in mating cut-outs 28 in the adjacent edges of the members 18. aid latch bolt is resiliently urged to latched po sition by an expansive spring 29 disposed in a recess 30 of one of the spacer members, the head 25 of the bolt being beveled to provide for automatic engagement with the bar 21 upon its movement to latching position, and the bolt being limited in its movement under influence of the spring by abutment of the eye 27 with the inner walls of the cut-outs 28 into which it is movable.

By the foregoing construction it will be seen that each pair of adjacent corners of the rigid side-members hasasso-ciated there with a pair of connecting bars 21, which when in assembled position are disposed in right angular relation, each one of the bars being in permanent pivotal connection with one of the side members whereby it may swing to lie' along the corresponding wall portions of the side member, which may be either one of the frame bars 10 or 11. Pivotal movement of each bar '21 to collapsed position is limitcd by abutment with the corresponding spacer member 18, and it is noted that one edge of the pivoted end of each bar 21 is shouldered at '21 to abut 7 against said spacer member.

A further connecting means for the rigid crate sides is afforded by diagonal connecting bars 31 each of which is pivotally secured to one of the frame bars 11 of one rigid side of the crate and adapted for latch connection with the, corresponding frame bar of the other rigid side of the crate, the pivot and latch connections being similar to the connections of the bars The pivotal connection for each bar 31 comprises inner and outer plates and 33 secured to the frame bar 11 and spaced'by a member 3%, said plates mounting a pivot bolt 35 for the end of the bar 31. The latch end of the bar is engageable between the inner and outer spaced plates 30 and 31 on the opposite frame bar 12, said plates mounting a locking pin 38 similar to the pin 23 and having movable. therebetween a latch bolt 39. In its collapsed position, the bar 31 lies along the outer face of the frame bar 10, to which it is secured at one end, and by the diagonal extension of the bars 31, the crate structure is sufficiently braced against collapsing movement under normal stresses.

The entire crate structure may be most readily set up or disassembled, and it will be observed that various changes and modifications of structure to meet differing conditions of use and to adapt the device for different articles to be shipped, may be employed, without departing in any manner from the spirit of the invention as interpreted in the accompanying claims.

\Vhat is claimed is:

1. A knockdown crate including a pair of side frame portions, base plates secured to each slde frame and havlng lateral extensions embracing the adjacent frame portion, angular caslng plates secured outwardly of and spaced from said extensions, connecting; bars each having one end pivotally secured between a casing plate and a base plate extension and having its other end engageable between acasing plate and base plate extension of the other side frame and latclr means for holdin said other end of the bar in such position.

2. A knockdown crate including a pair of rectangular side frame portions, a base plate secured to each corner of each frame and having lateral extensions embracing the adjacent frame portion, an angular casing plate secured outwardly of and spaced from said extensions, connecting bars each having one end pivot-ally secured between a casing plate and base plate extension and having its other end engageable between a casing plate and base plate extension of the other side frame and latch means for holding said other end of the bar in such position.

3. A knockdown crate including a pair of rectangular side frame portions, a base late secured to each corner of each frame and having lateral extensions embracing the ad jacent frame portion, an angular casing plate secure-d outwardly of and spaced from said extensions, connecting bars each having one end pivotally secured between a casing plate and base plate extension and ha ving its other end engageable between a casing plate and base plate extension of the other side frame the outer end of each bar being provided with a keeper recess anda latch bolt slidable between the corresponding base plate extension and casing plate for engagement in said recess.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHAR-LES LOMBARDO. Witnesses GEO. H. Kansans, HERMINA Knonenn. 

